Human Behavior And Human Development Essay - 1530 Words

While the study of human genes is increasingly improving our understanding of human development, it is not solely our genetic makeup that determines how we will develop. Humans as a species share many universal traits, which make it easy to disregard the large influence the environment plays in development. Throughout the lifespan, the environment presents itself in many different positions that help determine and shape human development. By looking at the influence of the environment and genetics on human development we are able to create a more holistic view of this process and gain a better understanding of the complexities involved within it. Through this comprehensive lens, it is easy to see how probabilistic human development offers the greatest amount of explanation, unlike the predetermined views of genetic influence in the past, and that environmental influence has an extensive impact on human behavior. Throughout human history, there have been many shared processes and fact ors related to development. Evolutionary psychology is a branch of psychology that has developed based on the idea that humans have shared behavioral traits. Demonstrations of these shared human traits can be seen in fixed patterns. These fixed patterns, such as yawning and attachment, are unlearned behaviors ever present in human development, allowing us to overestimate the power of genetics on human development as a whole (Newman Newman, 2016). While fixed patterns do have a largelyShow MoreRelatedStudy of Human Behavior in Lifespan Development2260 Words   |  9 PagesThere are many controversial areas of study in lifespan development. Focusing on the research methods used in Lifespan Development, critically analyze why study results are often contradictory. Lifespan development is a term used to specify a branch of psychology that looks into the changes that occur in human behavior from conception, through birth, youth, adulthood to our death. There are numerous studies looking into pre-natal development and studies of the environment on the fetus (Berk, 2012)Read MoreSociocultural Perspective On Human Behavior And Personality Development2026 Words   |  9 Pagesact in a certain way? What compels us to follow a path or formulate habits? One perspective among many others is the sociocultural perspective. A sociocultural perspective is an approach to understand why humans behave the way they do. It seeks to understand human behavior and personality development by examining the influence of rules of social groups on individuals who are members of those social groups. Sociocultural approach is an emerging topic that looks at the important contributions that societyRead MoreUnderstanding Human Behavior Is Filled With Information Based On S ocial Development776 Words   |  4 PagesChapter Eight of our textbook, Understanding Human Behavior was filled with information based on â€Å"Social Development in Adolescence†. In this chapter I found it entirely fascinating, in addition to being full of multiple fragments of the social transformations and obstacles that an adolescent faces. Adolescences go through a lot of changes, not only physically, but also psychologically, and socially. These changes are never experienced the same from one person to another, but there can be commonRead MoreHuman Behavior And Social Systems Development : Case Management, Direct Practice And Advocacy For Policy Development1610 Words   |  7 Pagesproblem solving in human relationships. To ensure the wellbeing of clients they promote empowerment strategies and liberation tools. Social workers apply theories of human behavior and social systems development to support people’s positive interactions with the environment. Social workers play three major roles in working with children and their families. These three roles are key in the following practice arenas: case management, direct practice and advocacy for policy development. Case managementRead MoreUnderstanding Human Behavior1257 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Understanding Human Behavior: As a critical aspect for many organizations, the study of human behavior and the interactions between people and the organization is usually described as organizational behavior since its mainly geared towards understanding and forecasting human behavior. For organizational leaders, understanding human behavior is a critical skill that has direct impacts on the success of the organization. Therefore, the ability of an organizational leader to be successful is closelyRead MoreEssay on MBA detail course outline1314 Words   |  6 PagesEMBA: 2 years (Quarter 1 – 8) MBA (Evening): 3.5 years (Quarter 1 – 14) MBA (Evening): 2.5 years (Quarter 1 – 8, 13 14) MBA (Evening): 1.5 years (Quarters, 3, 4, 7, 8 14) General Management 1st Quarter Effective : Spring Quarter 2011 Human Resource Management Finance Accounting Banking Finance †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Principles of Management †¢ PrinciplesRead MorePsychology and Understanding Human Behavior1745 Words   |  7 PagesWeek Two: Adolescent Development in the Social Environment Gender and Sexual Orientation | | Details | Due | Points | Objectives | 1 2.1 Describe the social, biological, and psychological development of an individual during adolescence. 2.2 Analyze individual and family interactions associated with adolescence. 2.3 Explain the social constructs of gender and sexual orientation. | | | Reading | Read Ch. 6 of Understanding Human Behavior and the Social EnvironmentRead MoreHuman Development Theories Essay1649 Words   |  7 PagesHuman Development Theories In addition to Freud’s psychodynamic theory there are four other human development philosophies; biological, cognitive, behavioral and systems model. Even though these theories differ they all contain the same basic assumptions. People will continue to grow. People exhibit both stability and flux as they pass through life. People are holistic, of mind body and spirit. Lastly, individual people must be understood in the context of relationships and setting (Cash White,Read MoreSelf Determination Theory And Actualization Of Human Potential800 Words   |  4 Pagescalled Self-determination theory and actualization of human potential, by Deci, Ryan and Guay(2013) it was written that in order to become a fully functioning individual and have the ability to actualize human potential a number of things need to occur. One has to be able to experience the satisfaction of basic human psychological needs, be intrinsically motivated, be able to internalize extrinsic motivation and also b e able to regulate emotions. Humans have a tendency to develop and grow naturally andRead MoreThe Theories Of Human Mind And Behavior1138 Words   |  5 PagesPsychology refers to the scientific study of all the aspects of human mind and behavior. Psychology is broadly categorized in various branches that deeply analyze different concepts of human behavior. In Human Growth and Development, full perceptions of the process of human development are covered in detail evaluating various stages of human growth. As such, this aspect provides an overview of the stages of human life from birth through the middle stages to the adult stage. Some various theories

To what extent did Fascist governments rely on fear to stay in power 1933 †1939 Free Essays

On January 30th 1933, Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany. By the mid 1930’s he was almost in complete control of Germany and had created a one-party state. The Nazis maintained power from 1933-1939 not only because of fear but because of a combination of reasons. We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent did Fascist governments rely on fear to stay in power 1933 – 1939? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their consolidation of power played a vital role as did their large lack of opposition and also their popular policies that appealed to a wide band of Germans. After being appointed chancellor of Germany, Hitler found himself in a very weak position. Out of the twelve ministers in the cabinet only two were members of the Nazis. Also, the Nazis did not control a majority of the Reichstag; they had only gained 33% in the November 1932 elections. And finally, President Hindenburg who had appointed Hitler as Chancellor could dismiss him at any time. The Nazis relied on terror considerably to maintain their regime. The Gestapo were the official secret police of Germany; they were in charge of denunciations. They taught German citizens to spy on their neighbours and report anything that seemed â€Å"unusual†. The Gestapo would act even if there was no valid evidence. They could arrest anyone they wished and even send them to concentration camps. This made many Germans fear the Gestapo. The SS were a protective squadron for the Nazis. They were able to keep â€Å"special prisoners† under â€Å"protective custody†. Thousands of Germans were sent to concentration camps. The SS also acted as prison officers at concentration camps, effectively running them. The SS were used to take charge of the programme of genocide against the Jews. Throughout Germany, many people were afraid that the persecution of the Jews would happen to them. Jewish shops were boycotted, Jews were barred from teaching and following the Nuremburg Laws in 1935, Jews were no longer counted as German citizens. The public now knew how Nazis dealt with â€Å"problems†. Overall, the Nazis created a large atmosphere of fear throughout Germany; this helped them to stay in power as Germans stuck to the rules through fear of punishment and also fear of the general public spying on them. However, there were other reasons for the control of Germans, one of which was the establishment of a Dictatorship. From the very beginning of the regime the Nazis consolidated their power. Less than a month after Hitler’s appointment the Reichstag fire took place. On the 27th February 1933, the Reichstag head quarters were burnt down. A Dutch communist called Marinus Van Der Lubbe was given the blame. Hitler exploited this event, claiming it was a communist conspiracy against the state and it was the start of the communist revolution. After this the Decree for the Protection of the People and the State was passed. President Hindenburg believed Hitler’s claims of the communist revolution beginning and signed the decree. There were four main terms, the first was to arrest the enemies of the state, the second was to suspend the rights of free speech and assembly, the third was censorship and the final term was the right of the Chancellors to take over the powers of the state in emergencies. The March election of 1933 was neither fair nor free and was also illegal by the standards of parliamentary democracy. The Nazis gained 43. 9% and won 233 seats, this was mainly because the SPD and KPD were banned from participating. Also in March of 1933 the Enabling Act was passed. This gave Hitler the right to act without reference to the Reichstag. Hitler proposed he should be allowed to govern alone for 4 years. This was the first step to Hitler becoming a dictator. In July 1933, Hitler passed a law creating a one party state with the Nazis as the only party in the Reichstag. Ernst Rohm, the leader of the SA was seen as a large threat to Hitler as he had plans to unite the SA and the German army. However, Hitler wanted to keep the army loyal to him and was fearful that Rohm would overthrow him if his plan went ahead. Thus he decided to purge the SA this was called the Night of the Long Knives. The SS shot approximately 400 people, yet only admitted to 77. One of those murdered was Ernst Rohm. This further consolidated Hitler’s power and kept the army on his side. In August 1934, President Hindenburg died. Hitler declined the role of President, claiming it would always be associated with the Great War hero Hindenburg. Hitler decided to be known as Fuhrer. By doing this, Hitler avoided limitations on his power by a constitution. Thus, almost two years after being appointed chancellor, Hitler was now Fuhrer of a one-party state, with virtually unlimited political power. This consolidation of power contributed largely to the Nazis staying in power as Hitler was now seen a strong leader, this gained a lot of support. After becoming Fuhrer, Hitler took control of all state and national institutions. This process was known as the Gleichschaltung (Co-ordination). In May 1933, trade unions were banned and replaced by the Nazi Labour Front. In addition, they banned strikes and if anybody opposed they would be dealt with. The Nazis purged the Civil Service and the Police of any opposition; everyone was replaced with loyal Nazis. Furthermore, The German courts were now under political control and had no independence. The Education and Youth organisations provided by the Nazis were regarded as critical. The Hitler youth was created as Hitler wanted the children to continue his supposed 1000 year Reich. All anti-Nazis were fired and all remaining teachers had to join the Nazi teachers’ league. Finally, the Catholic Church signed a â€Å"concordat† with the Nazis in June 1933. They agreed that the church would recognise the Nazi regime and the Nazis would not interfere with the churches beliefs and teachings. Overall, the process of Gleichschaltung further consolidated Hitler’s power over Germany because he now controlled all of the organisations and institutions. This contributed towards the Nazis staying in power and shows that fear was not the only reason. The Nazis regime existed and was maintained not solely through dictatorship and terror. Many of the Nazis’ policies were popular throughout Germany and the regime had a large amount of genuine support from many German people. †¦. WRITE SOMETHING HERE!! Hitler faced no real opposition, this was due to many different reasons. Organised opposition to the Nazis became almost impossible after the one-party state was created. Many Germans were happy to accept Hitler’s rule and so there did not oppose as they provided a strong government. Nazi propaganda was extremely effective, the Nazis created the cult of Hitler, this emphasised the superiority of the Germans over other races. Finally, the protestant and catholic churches did not oppose the Nazis mainly because the Nazis had crushed the communists and they did not want to suffer the same fate. Almost all opposition had been demolished; this helped the Nazis stay in power as it prevented anyone from opposing and gave them no rivalry. There is no denying that fear played a central role in Hitler’s maintain of power. The consolidation of power and the nazification process created a state which eliminated all possible opposition. The period of 1933-1939 was seen as a success for most Germans; Hitler was seen as responsible for restoring Germany’s pride and had dealt with problems holding Germany down. By 1939, Hitler’s popularity had increased and most Germans eagerly accepted Hitler, this was mainly due to fear but also due to the way Hitler had restored Germany and brought back respect. How to cite To what extent did Fascist governments rely on fear to stay in power 1933 – 1939?, Papers

Night Visions by Imagine Dragons free essay sample

Like the title suggests, Night Visions by Imagine Dragons is a series of songs created at night. From prowling nighttime ballads, uncertain dusk, to the crisp rise of day, that progression is continued from the band’s Continued Silence EP. It carries on the legacy of favorites, like the warstained, futuristic â€Å"Radioactive,† to the energetic, youthful â€Å"On Top of the World.† And like its predecessor, the album is a collection of songs that delve into the depths of us: never exploiting the feeling of invincibility, fear, pain, and anger, universal parts of our being. And that includes the rage, confusion, glory, and everything in between. While no song is completely alike, each is infused with the same high-rising energy. In â€Å"Hear Me,† paranoia is given a bitter sweet taste. Dan Reynolds croons and cries, his voice burning with passion. His level of intensity matches that of the music, which is one of the most amazing parts of the album. Since then Ive heard it on the radio stations i listen to and Its all good. Very good song. 2, Tiptoe, this starts out with an eerie sound and then we get to the style from the last one. ITs easily my second favorite from the album. This song is a true bomb. 3, Its Time, my third favorite song in the album. Of the first 5, this is the longest and again among the more popular tracks in the album. From here, were only a sixth of the way through but it is a good straight way through. Its time to begin, isnt it, I get a little bit, bigger but then Ill admit, Im just the same as I was. Im never changing who I am. 4, Demons, one of the shorter songs in the album and right up with Radioactive and Its Time. This is a song that was really for Dan, being that he had a Heroine problem before this, or so Ive heard. This song has to do with hardships and things that bring you down easily. It is less than 3 minutes long but it packs a gaint punch within those three minutes. 5, On Top Of The World, This is a happy song, Yah! This is also the last track with a music video and in that, the band pulls a Beatles move and goes through Abbey Road to meet in one place to watch an air shuttle take off. Fun song that anyone could listen to. 6, Amsterdam, this is my favorite song in the album.By the way, has anyone been to NetherLands? I would love to go there. Maybe I could find more metal bands there. Anyways, this song is one of those apology songs, we all have heard of at least one, right? I dont know why but this is in my top 20 right now. Its short, sweet, and to the point. 7, Hear Me, I swear this sounds familiar. Well, anyways, this song is also really fun to listen to and like I said, it sounds like Ive heard this before somehow, somewhere. This must be a song about how some feels alone or like no one will listen to him, probably the latter. 8, Every Night, Im coming home to you-oo, every night, every night. That is the sound of something still good. From here, though, this is where we start to slip. But this song is still good. Nothing more, sorry. 9, Bleeding Out, god this song hurts! It is okey but it just gets worse from here. Not too drastic of a change though. It is a good song though so, theres that. It feels a little too slow though, yeah I think thats it. 10, Underdog, it starts with alot of keyboard and synth action. As the name sugests, it is a song about being the underdog in a certain sport, they didnt specify there. It is a bit better then Bleeding Out, but thats just me, it is a bit quirky as well. 11, Nothing Left To Say/Rocks, well it has two parts so it is going to be a little longer. Oh, but did I mention its 9 MINUTES LONG!? Jeez, that is a little overkill for these guys. For metal that would totally make sense, but for pop rock? Well, not really. This is easily my least favorite song and the longest one on the entire album. It is still somewhat good but, just barely. 12, Working Man, finally back to the sound at the begining if the album. Catchiness and chart topping music, for me at least, and sheer enjoyment. Ive said it once and I will say it one more time, FINALLY! 13, Fallen, this is more of an Indie sounding song. Again, it sounds familiar and again, I have no idea when or where I have heard this, if I did. I do like it quite a bit but it doesnt exactly toach the top 5 for this album. Well, tell everybody this is a cool song. 14, My Fault, this is as long as Demons but isnt nearly as good. It has more conventional sounds and sounds very conventional of a song as well. It is better than Nothing Left To Say but only by a little. It sounds a little too sad too. 15, Round and Round, this starts with what sounds like Breaking Benjamins Unknown Soldier, then we get into rap rock music style, I guess. Dans voice sounds kind of unnatural here, whether thats good or bad is up to interpretation. It is a pretty catchy song but it doesnt stand up to the test of time. 16, The River, after this, only two more songs to go. This song sounds like a psychodelic adventure, like they took a page out of Pink Floyd, and became a song. Again, like Nothing Left To Say, it isnt too terribly good but isnt bad either. I took it for what it is and just rolled with it. Sorry Dan, but you cant do psycodelic songs well. 17, America, I first this song when cycling through my phones music playlist and listening to every song in order alphabeticly. This is an interesting song might I add, but a bit boring. Eh, what are you going to do? I feel it is far inferior to some of the last songs but still much better than well, Nothing Left To Say, again, I do like that song a little. 18, Selene, phoow, were finally at the end. Well it felt like forever right? A great way to go out and has a nice catchy beat to it to. I freaking love this song! It goes out like a supernova and just explodes the sound right through to your ears. Facinating chorus and one of the better sounding love songs Ive heard, especially pop music. Listen to this album if you havent already, you will not regret it. This has been the Grim Reaper, and my next review will be our first negitive reveiw, MegaDeths Rust In Peace. Rating: 8.8/10

The Luncheon Essay Example

The Luncheon Essay Two short stories by William Somerset Maugham, The escape and The luncheon, both describes grieving experience of men towards women. The narrator of the former recites how his friend, Roger Charing, tries to get rid of a woman, Ruth Barlow. The author of the later reflects his own experience with a woman using her well-laid traps to make him fulfill her luxurious demands. Since these events are anything but pleasant and memorable, the author expresses his severe criticism towards women. The story begins with a funny anecdote, stating that If a woman once made up her mind to marry a man, nothing but instant flight could save him. Faulkner describes marriage as the inevitable loom menacingly before men or danger that urges men to perform an immediate action. This suggests his negative attitudes towards marriage and, more importantly, expresses the difference of men and women in love. Men are not marrying creatures while women usually expect to lead a love affair to marriage. Ruth Barlow is characterized by a gift: a gift for pathos. Her sympathetic appearance, splendid dark eyes and they were the most moving I ever saw, they seemed to be ever on the point of filling with tears, conspires with a pitiful background, twice a widow, to render Ruth the vulnerability, which strips men off their usual sensibility. Though appearing as naive and harmless, Ruth is led to gradually reveal her true character. Despite the absolute sympathy Roger has towards her, the narrator perceive her as stupid, scheming and unemotional. We will write a custom essay sample on The Luncheon specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Luncheon specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Luncheon specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Her cheating on the card game and overlooking to pay the money she lost expose her dishonesty and affected manners. Ruth is a dull and narrow-minded woman, as she had never had any conversation. Faulkners repetitive description about her eyes: splendid dark eyes, the most moving eyes, big ad lovely eyes makes an impression that other than the pathetic look, this woman is a hollow. The turning-point of this story is when Roger, out of the blue, falls out of love with Ruth. His ingenious (and somewhat artificial) effort to run away rom that happy ending contributes to unveil Ruths fake personality. The seemingly endless hunt for a suitable house turns the adorably looking Ruth to a silent and scornful woman with sullen eyes. She finally gives up her patience of an angel, breaks up with Roger and rushes herself into an instant marriage with someone who is anxious to take care of me. This uncommon situation confirms the narrators judgment on women as fickle at the beginning of this sto ry. Similarly, the other short story, The luncheon, expresses equal disdain of the author towards women. The narrator the story This woman immediately strikes the readers with her artifice: she knows how to present lavish praise to a young and inexperienced writer, inducing him to spare her a suspicious meeting. Considering that men always pay for the meals, her request to have a little luncheon at Foyot, a place for the elites, indicates her rudeness. The narrators first impression about this woman was her having more teeth, white and large even, than were necessary for any practical purpose, being talkative and imposing rather than attractive neither favorable nor positive. The woman says repeatedly that she prefers simple and light meals, I never eat anything for luncheon. I never eat more than one thing. I never drink anything for luncheon. but turns out to have a very good appetite, especially for most expensive things. She comfortably consumes caviar, salmon, white wine, asparagus, ice-cream coffee, and a peach and talks in an exalted mood about art, literature and music. The narrator, on the other hand, eats only a miserable little chop while sketching out a plan in case he could not afford the bill. However, the woman is nonchalant and thoughtless enough to ignore that; she continues to rebuke him for ruining your palate by all the meat you eat. Her impoliteness also reveals through her vulgar eating manner, I watch the abandoned woman thrust them down her throat in large voluptuous mouthfuls , and then reaches the top when she implies the narrator mean after robbing him with an excessively luxurious meal, sparing him so little to give the waiter an adequate tip. Apart from ill-mannered, the woman is also unsophisticated. She responds to the narrators ironical saying Ill eat nothing for dinner tonight. with a loud laughter, thinking that he was quite a humorist. All by all, in various literary works, Faulkner built up a negative image of women: insipid and mercantile, through which he expressed his contempt and indifference for women. The Luncheon This story with a twist of irony happened 20 years ago when the man was living in Paris. He was a writer and like any young writer, he was earning barely enough money to survive. And one day he received a fan mail from a lady. She was passing through Paris and was interested to have a chat with the author. She suggested to treat her with a little luncheon at Foyots. When they were at Foyots, he was surprised because she was a woman of forty and not a young lady as he imagined. But the biggest surprise was the high prices from the bill of fare. The first words coming from her mouth with big teeth was I never eat anything for luncheon. At this point, the author did not know that this was the beginning of his nightmare.? @He insisted her to have some thing. She said she never had more than one thing and suggested a little salmon. Although she said she never had more than one thing, she opted to have some caviar while the salmon was being cooked. He ordered caviar for her and the cheapest dish for him, a mutton chop. The irony of this story is that, the lady ends up eating salmon, caviar, champagne, asparagus and peaches and she rebukes him for taking more than one thing. His mind was in a whirl after all these happenings and specially after paying the bill with a small amount of tip. But he had his revenge after 20 years. She weights twenty-one stones now. This was probably when he could confirm the existence of the gods

The Golden Age of Islam essays

The Golden Age of Islam essays The rise of Islam ushered in an entirely new era for the people of the Arabian Peninsula as early as the 7th century CE.  Islam extended itself across the Middle East and then began its conquest of North Africa, reaching into Spain and Eastern Europe.   The 1200s saw Islam's spread into India as well as Southeast Asia.   The success and expansion of Islam throughout these times was founded on the power of the empire's military, the effectiveness of a common language, and the egalitarian practices of leaders regarding conquered peoples. Islamic armies possessed the ability to efficiently and quickly advance the territories of their empires by employing advanced ideas and tactics as well as their superior use of a militant cavalries made up of both horses and camels.   The leaders of these armies and empires treated conquered peoples with remarkable tolerance, once these people agreed to their authority, of course. In combination with this territorial expansion, intellectual e xpansion exploded. This time period is known as the Golden age of Islam and was focused on three main principles of language, trade, and education. In order to read the Quran, a devout Muslim would need to learn Arabic, the original language of the holy book. This religious requirement affected more than just the daily religious practices of Muslims, it aided in uniting the multifarious indigenous cultures within the empire of Islam. The spread of knowledge, technologies, and ideas was made possible by the use of this common language, effectively uniting the culture. Literacy is an important aspect of this transformation. Unifying faiths and languages alone, for all that, did not solely inspire the expansion of literacy and academics cultivated by the Golden Age of Islam, however. Because of expanded trade, the city of Samarkand, on the eastern border of the empire, brought in Chinese technology for making paper. All of a sudden, the time-intensive transforma...

Common Characteristics of the New England Colonies

Common Characteristics of the New England Colonies The North American colonies that were settled by the English are often divided into three different groups: the New England colonies, the Middle colonies, and the Southern colonies. The New England colonies consisted of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. These colonies shared many common characteristics that helped define the region. The following is a look at these key characteristics. Physical Characteristics of New England All of the New England colonies had been covered by ice during the last Ice Age, which created poor, rocky soil. The final melt-back of the glaciers left some of the rocky areas peppered with large boulders.Rivers are fairly short and their floodplains are narrow, unlike in other areas of America, and do not allow for the creation of huge agricultural plots along their banks.The major resources available and used by the colonists were lumber and fish. The People of New England The New England region was an area of mostly homogeneous culture, mostly settled by large groups of people from England who were fleeing religious persecution or seeking new opportunities.The New England colonists settled in towns, typically surrounded by 40 square miles of land that were farmed by the individuals who lived in the towns.Indigenous Native American groups such as the Pequot in Connecticut were involved in extensive trading with the Dutch, but the situation became tense when the English started arriving in the 1630s. Britain launched the Pequot War in 1636–1637, after which many Pequot were executed and many survivors were sold into slavery in the Caribbean. In 1666 and 1683, Connecticut colony built two reservations for the remaining Pequot. Major Occupations in New England Agriculture:  Farms surrounding the farms were not terribly fertile. As a group, the farmers brought a high degree of mechanical ingenuity and self-sufficiency.Fishing:  Boston began exporting fish in 1633. In 1639, Massachusetts Bay was exempted from paying taxes on fishing boats; and as a result, by 1700, the fishing industry was huge. The colonists obtained crustaceans and pelagic fish from saltwater bays and freshwater rivers, and Pilgrim fathers also hunted right whales off Cape Cod.Commerce:  Individuals from the New England area were heavily involved in commerce. Extensive trade with England allowed ship holders to flourish, and the New Englanders also maintained lucrative trade connections with the West Indies and French colonies to the north. New England Religion Calvinism and the Social Contract Theory: Many individuals who lived in the New England area were Calvinists or heavily influenced by John Calvins works and thought. While many look at John Locke as the primary founder of the idea of the social contract (which defined proper government as an agreement or contract between the individuals to join together into a society), the Calvinist doctrine was one of the first to espouse the idea in England. The fact that many New England settlers followed the religious doctrines of John Calvin meant that this theory was part of their religious heritage. Further, this belief in the importance of social contracts transferred to economic contracts as well.A Belief in Predestination:  One of the tenets of Calvinism is the idea of predestination. This was the belief that God had already predetermined everything, including who was going to heaven and who to hell. The idea that God had chosen the British colonies for a special destiny  to take the N orth American continent and develop and maintain an ideal of liberty and democracy later fed into 19th century manifest destiny. Congregationalism:  This style of religion means that the church itself was governed by its own members, and the congregation chose its own minister, rather than being assigned one by a hierarchy.Intolerance:  While the Puritans might have escaped England due to religious persecution, they did not come to America to establish religious freedom for all. They wanted to be free to worship the way they wished. In Massachusetts Bay colony, people who did not subscribe to the colony religion were not allowed to vote, and nonconformists such as Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were excommunicated from the church and banished from the colony. The Spread of the New England Population The small towns only lasted a few years, as the populations outgrew the 40-acre supporting fields. That resulted in the rapid increase of many new small towns: instead of having a few large metropolises, New England was dotted with many smaller towns that were established by breakaway groups. This low-intensity settlement pattern lasted until the 1790s when a transition to commercial agriculture and small-scale industry began. In essence, during its first few decades, New England was an area that had been founded by a fairly homogeneous population, most of whom shared common religious beliefs. Because the region lacked huge tracts of fertile land, the area turned to commerce and fishing as their main occupations, though individuals within towns still worked small plots of land in the surrounding area. Slavery did not become an economic necessity in New England, as it grew to be in the Southern colonies. This turn to commerce would have a major impact many years later after the founding of the United States when questions of states rights and slavery were being discussed. Sources and Further Reading Carroll, Charles F. The Timber Economy of Puritan New England. Providence: Brown University Press, 1973.Foster, David R. Land-Use History (1730-1990) and Vegetation Dynamics in Central New England, USA. Journal of Ecology 80.4 (1992): 753–71.Foster, David R., Glenn Motzkin, and Benjamin Slater. Land-Use History as Long-Term Broad-Scale Disturbance: Regional Forest Dynamics in Central New England. Ecosystems 1.1 (1998): 96–119.Scott, Donald M. The Religious Origins of Manifest Destiny. Divining America: Religion in American History. National Humanities Center.  Silliman, Stephen W. Change and Continuity, Practice and Memory: Native American Persistence in Colonial New England. American Antiquity 74.2 (2009): 211–30.Stout, Harry S. The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.  Yankee Whaling. New Bedford Whaling Museum, 2016.

Coca-Cola Company vs. PepsiCo, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coca-Cola Company vs. PepsiCo, Inc - Essay Example The two companies have set some pension plans that have had many effects on the companies’ level of investment and risk while also, it affects their levels of sale and production of products. These plans are aimed at benefiting their retired employees while each company uses a quite different approach from the other. The two companies have developed strong public relations across many nations that assist them in linking customers to their company. The International Financial Report Standard (IFRS) has been a significant unit within the management of funds on the pension plan. It helps the companies realize whether the scheme of pension plan brings a loss or a profit for the company. The companies can therefore classify the pension plans as either assets or liabilities according to the IFRS report. It also enables the companies determine whether they have overfunded or underfunded the pension plan. In 2009, the coca-cola company held a third position among the companies that ha ve adopted a cash balance report meant to cater for the pension plan schemes (Diebold, 2010).   The coca-cola executive managers rejected the use of a constitutional approach in funding pension plans. As a result, there were minimized risks to the coca-cola company. Additionally, the company secured more benefits to the employees in comparison to year 2008. Following this actions, the company reported $31.9 billion in revenue operation, which was a higher value compared to $28.9 billion in the preceding year. On the other hand, because of the plan, mobility of the workforce went up while the career benefits accumulated from the plan increased compared to the preceding approach that dealt with pension plan. During the same year, 2009, Pepsi Co Company, through the assistance of the International Financial Report Standard (IFRS), developed a method of offering a final salary pension to the new employees. These were meant to benefit its workers and their family members upon their ret irement. This plan included medical fees among other benefits for the retired employee and is differently calculated. This method required a high quality pension scheme capable of securing the retirement of both the present and the newly employed workers. Up to date, the method is still applied in the company (Warfield et al. 2012). However, the method posed a higher risk to the Pepsi Company and brought in a decline of the total sales of Pepsi as compared to the year 2008. At Pepsi Company, Pension plans cover full time employees while their benefits are determined on the bases of either years of service for the worker, or a combination of service or the years of service. Retirees are eligible for life and medical insurance benefits upon meeting a specific age and service requirements. Their share of the pension costs is capped at certain dollar amounts on bases of years of service. The expected return on the pension plan assets is based on the company’s investment strategy on the pension plan as well as on their expectations for their long-term rates of return. In calculating their funding levels and capital gains in the pension plans, a market-related valuation method that realizes investment loses or gains for the securities included in their equity allocations. With complete reliance to the Financial Report Standard (IFRS), the company ensures that the amount of funds allocated for the pension plan does not exceed the expected gains. This is

Animal Behaviour Questionnaire Assignment #3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Animal Behaviour Questionnaire #3 - Assignment Example The behavior of the male lions on the other hand is slightly different because, lions have the tendency of assessing each other’s manes and liked to generally engage in fights without any actual physical contact. However, the darkness of the mane exuded that it was thicker than lighter mane and therefore lend better protection in a fight (West et al,2006, p609) Therefore, the lighter maned ones rarely approached the dark maned models. Dark colored manes means the lion must be aggressive and strong therefore the weaker light colored lions steer clear of the darker maned ones to avoid chanced of confrontations. 3. The findings that indicate that the gender of a species responsible for parental care lives longer is not completely true since it cannot be accurately concluded from the length of an individual’s lifespan that prolonged lifespan was a result of parental behavior among the species. It is also inaccurate the among species which takes a long time to grow and mature, longer lifespan of the parental sex has gained selection advantage is also since a long life is beneficial for the species as a whole and not in terms of individual life spans. There may be alternate explanations for the prolonged lifespan of the parental gender than that of the non-parental gender. We may perhaps propose that among animals where the female is the care provider, the resources are first taken by the female sin order to feed the young ones of the group. The resources therefore decrease and become limited for the male members of the grout which enhances intraspecific competition for resources among the male members leading to life-shortening risks to acquire the resources for survival. On the other hand among species where the male members are responsible for giving care, the female members compete over the limited resources and

Changes in Faith and the Coming of Age Essay Example for Free

Changes in Faith and the Coming of Age Essay In â€Å"Bless Me Ultima† by Rudolfo Anaya, Ultima represents the benevolent guide for Toni, in â€Å"Night† by Elie Wiesel, God serves as Elie’s benevolent guide. Both of these guides serve to help Toni and Elie decide where they stand in terms of their faith and religion and come to age in the process. In â€Å"Bless Me Ultima† Toni starts out firmly believing in God as taught so vehemently by his own mother, Elie also starts out by having faith, even more so than Toni as is shown by his admiration, even adoration of Moshe the Beathe and when he says â€Å" Why did I pray?-Why did I live? Why did I breathe?†. Both Toni and Elie believe what they have been taught too believe but Elie believes even more whole-heartedly than Toni which is why his seperation from God is much more brutal and sudden than Toni’s own seperation. Both boys are on the brink of being thrown into turnmoil and hardships that their fragile minds, bodies and beliefs are not ready for. When Ultima first comes to live with Toni and his family, Toni is intimidated by her precense but quickly warms up to her and in the process begins to witness and experience a side of spiritualism he never knew existed. Elie’s faith does not change but rather begins to dissipate throughout the novel due to his experiences as does Toni’s faith in God.Ultima serves as Toni’s protector, guide, and nurturer as does the figure and belief in God for Elie. The death of Lupito plants the seed of doubt in God in Toni’s mind as does the death of the pipel in Elie’s mind. None of these events succeed in shattering their faiths but it suceeds in managing to make them question their faith. With Narcisso and Florence’s death comes the further loss of faith in God for Toni and the further witnessing of pain, death, and cruelty makes Elie alternate between belief and disbelief in his once precious God. Both Toni and Elie are let down by their own God’s silence. Toni says â€Å" There was nothing, only silence† when he is in the confessional waiting for a reply from God and Elie says â€Å"Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the  eternal and terrible Master of the Universe chose to be silent, what was there to thank him for?† when everybody else is praying to God. The constant days and nights full of terror, fear, torture, and the desolation that came with the death of his father finally broke Elie and his faith in God if even for a moment. Elie says â€Å"Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.† The same happens to Toni due to the deaths he has been witness to and especially the death of Ultima. In the book Toni says â€Å" Everything I believed in was destroyed. A painful, wrenching in my heart made me cry aloud, â€Å"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?†. The difference between Toni and Elie was that Toni’s benevolent guide who was Ultima gave him the ability to regain faith even if it was not towards God himself. Elie’s benevolent guide was God himself so when his faith was shattered he had no other place to direct his faith towards. At the end of the novel Toni manages to hold on to a form of faith prompted by others that could not have been managed without the influence of Ultima and Eli begins to regain faith in God himself even through his ordeals due to the unwavering faith he had in God in the beginning. Both characters learn that only through experiences and hardships can innocence be lost and maturity be gained as shown when Toni says â€Å"The tragic consequences of life can be overcome by strenght that resides in the human heart.†, and when Elie says â€Å" There are victories of the soul and spirit, sometimes even if you lose, you win.† Ultima and God, the symbolic benevolent spirits of both of these characters helped them decide what they believe in in the form of faith and come of age through this process.

The main differences between poems are described by Metaphysical and Classical. :: English Literature

The main differences between poems are described by Metaphysical and Classical. The main differences between poems are described by Metaphysical and Classical. The most famous metaphysical poets would be John Dunn and Marvell, and then the most famous classical poets would be Marlowe and Johnson. Metaphysical being the more interesting makes use of arguments to persuade this can also be described as dialectic. Then Classical is more "Carpe Diem" (Seize the Day) being simpler and with all the verses being the same and in a Starvea (irregular) and an example of this is the poem To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time. The poem, To his coy mistress is very much Carpe Diem but the poet Andrew Marvell who wrote it was influenced by both Metaphysical and Classical types of poetry, the way in the beginning of the poem he seems to talk about things in a very slow way, walking, time slowing down to try to woe the women in a much quicker, the poem also shows a lot of Petrachan influences as when Andrew Marvell says 'Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze' and 'Thy beauty shall no more be found'. The poem is very much more in use of words that show the women in which the poem is talking about as being a goddess as I said earlier; this seems to play a large part in the poem. Another poem which is also very Carpe Diem is, to the virgins, to make much of time, this poem uses irregular (starvea) stress' and unstressed' words, but does have a regular amount of feet throughout the poem. The poem seems to be stating to a woman that she should not wait at all and get married in her youth when she still can, it is speaking as though the women has no other option than to get married in her youthful times. The writer, Robert Herrick, is using the sun also as a use of time saying to hurry before the sun sets and it will be too late for the sun and the women marrying times are gone. The poem The Flea is very different to the other two before, it is a metaphysical poem which is much more interesting, it uses a much more dialectic view of wooing a women. It uses the fact that as a flea has bitten both the poet and the women of whom he is in love with, that it means that there are three lives all together in one and that him and his love almost 'more than maryed are'.

Economic and Social Development in Post-Independence Jamaica and Barbados Essay

Jamaica and Barbados have socially and economically advanced since their independences. Each country has been able to economically sustain itself without the assistance of Britain, which used to govern the two as territories. But despite the two countries’ self-regulation and reliance, both of the nations are quite poor, and are considered third world countries. Jamaican and Barbadian History Both of the two nations were originally colonized by Great Britain (after being discovered by the Spanish) under the mercantilism policy, which encouraged European colonization of other areas. This was because the policy showed that a nation’s prosperity could be determined by its adequacy in trade, and exports were far more valuable than imports under the policy. So European nations that could not produce particular products on their own would colonize other areas that could, so they could use the goods, and export them to other nations that did not have the means to acquire those particular goods on their own. So many of the Caribbean islands that Britain colonized were exploited because of their warm climates, which allowed them to grow certain crops, such as sugar. This crop was one of the main reasons that Britain had colonized such territories as Jamaica and Barbados. Jamaica’s Independence and its Economic Enterprises Thereafter It was in 1962 that the United Kingdom’s parliament granted Jamaica its independence, after which the nation ceased to be regulated by its European founder. After its independence, the Jamaican government arose, and began sponsoring employment opportunities, though many jobs arose in the private sector. Sugar and bananas were the original crops grown in Jamaica, and exported to locations worldwide, and the cultivation of these crops serves as a major source of employment on the island. The nation’s tropical climate makes it a suitable location for the growing of these crops, which cannot be grown in the United States or Europe, so some of the sugar and bananas in those areas come from Jamaica. Jamaican Exports and Recent Economic Problems Jamaica also has a natural supply of bauxite, which is a source of aluminum ore, and is therefore a valuable product, which employs many people as miners. But recently, the economic status of the island has been declining. Periods of unfavorable weather have led to a sharp decrease in the production of sugar cane and bananas over the last decade, and inflation has been plaguing the island. The recent lack of favorable agricultural activity has been so extreme that the nation has been forced to import products that, if conditions were better, Jamaica could produce itself. But lately, coffee has been another profitable crop that can be grown around the island’s blue mountains area, when sugar and bananas cannot, and it serves as a primary export, and source of national income. Other Industries in Jamaica Jamaica also has an industry concerned with the rearing of domestic animals, and a dairy industry. But that has also been declining, and the nation has actually been importing milk, butter, and cheese from elsewhere. Other smaller cash crops of the island include citrus fruits, such as oranges, and cocoa, but the industries concerned with those crops are considerably smaller than that of the sugar sector. Mining employs a small number of citizens, as does fishing, and foresting, as loggers are able to export lumber to countries that do not have access to the same tropical woods. Also in Jamaica is the manufacturing industry, which usually accounts for just under 20% of the nation’s GDP annually. Tourism has also proved to be a profitable market for the nation, and it serves as a social and economic boost for the nation, but since the turn of the century, tourism has been slower in Jamaica. Barbados’ Independence and Its Trade History Barbados achieved its independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, after which the nation began governing and regulating itself. Since that time, sugar cane has proved to be the greatest contribution to the nation’s employment, and it serves as Barbados’ most significant export. In 1961, five years before the country’s independence from great Britain, Barbados opened the Deep Water Harbour port, located in Bridgetown, which serves as the nation’s main port, and allows large container ships and freighters to export sugar and manufactured products Barbados’ Manufacturing Sector Although sugar was for some time the main source of income for the nation, recently, manufacturing and tourism has been increasing in Barbados. The manufacturing sector began in the 1980s, and continued to be a profitable investment in the country into the 1990s, as certain companies exploited the nation’s cheap labor to save money on manufacturing in the United States and Europe. The United States has proved to be the main trade partner of Barbados, which also relies on certain imports from the United States. â€Å"The United States remained Barbados’ leading trade partner in 1987 with transactions valued at $189 million ($128 million in U. S. exports and $61 million in U.  S. imports),† an article for Business America, entitled Barbados: economy relies on U. S. for products, investment – Business Outlook Abroad reported of the trade status in 1988. â€Å"Moreover, Barbados continued to welcome American investment in virtually all sectors of the economy. In addition to direct investors, in recent years Barbados has attracted a sizable number of American captive insurers, international business companies, and foreign sales corporations largely through a bilateral double taxation agreement. This means that at an earlier time, the economy of the nation was stabilized by foreign investments, and exports that served to preserve trade relations between the United States and Barbados. Trade Alliances and Foreign Investments And with Barbados’ good terms with the United States came the tourism industry. American, Canadian, and European tourists provide the nation with a stable tourism industry that serves as a main source of income on the nation. Foreign interests in the nation that led to the tourism industry was somewhat of an atypical event for a Caribbean country, as most nations in the area have not been able to capitalize on the industry, or attract foreign investors in its markets as Barbados did. Major tourism projects, such as resorts and cruise adventures continue to benefit the nation’s tourism industry, and satisfied tourists keep the industry alive. Federal and Private Programs in Barbados Recently, government-regulated ventures in the nation have been turning into privatized corporations. The government of the nation is not satisfied with the high unemployment rate, so it is trying to encourage small businesses to form, and stabilize themselves, because this should lead to the creation of jobs. But lately, nationally sponsored programs such as offshore banking enterprises, and foreign exchange moderation by Barbados have proved to be effective ways of earning the nation capital. Most manufacturing and sugar cane production, however, is done in the private sector, and is not federally regulated. This allows small businesses and farmers to have steady employment, and the steady production of crops allows the nation to not only export the crops, but use them itself, which decreases Barbados’ reliance on imports from other nations. Both Jamaica and Barbados have been able to maintain themselves to some degree, economically and socially since their independences from Britain. The development of Jamaica, however, was much more typical for a West Indian nation than was the development of Barbados, because Jamaica was not able to draw foreign investors and establish particularly coordinated trade patterns like Barbados was. In this aspect, Barbados was much more successful than were most West Indian nations, as it was able to maintain exports even when economic times were difficult. The Jamaican economy has been experiencing more problems than that of Barbados, and inflation in Jamaica is causing serious problems. Barbados, however, unlike most Caribbean nations, has been able to rebound, and it has a very high rate of tourism, which provides the nation with a steady rate of foreign income.

Final Exam Solution Essay

1) Two information systems that support the entire organization are BIS 220 final exam question 2) _______ is the direct use of information systems by employees in their work 3) ______ attempt to duplicate the work of human experts by applying reasoning capabilities 4) ______ issues involve who may obtain information and how much they should pay for this information Bis 220 final exam 5) _____ issues involve collecting, storing, and disseminating information about individuals. 6) Your company’s computers have been taken over by an attacker and used to attack another organization’s information systems. Your problem is which of the following? 7) You are the only person in your office to upgrade to Microsoft ® Word 2010. Before you share documents with coworkers, you should do which of the following? 8) Which of the following is detected by the contextual spelling checker? 9) If your cursor is near the bottom of a page and you want to display the next paragraph you type at the top of a new page, you should use which of  the following? 10) Your ______ is the collection of traceable data that is captured when you use various information technologies such as credit cards or the Internet 11) No alphabetic characters in a social security number field is an example of 12) In a database, the primary key field is used to 13) Search engines and metasearch engines are examples of which network application? 14) ______ portals coordinate content within relatively narrow organizational and partners’ communities 15) Workflow, groupware, and telepresence systems are examples of which network application? 16) Which type of e-commerce does an organization provide information and services to its workers? 17) _______ auctions are the most common auction model for large purchases. 18) ______ collect data from many points over an extended space. 19) Which type of satellite has the largest footprint? 20) Which of the following is the most appropriate wireless networking standard for creating personal area networks? 21) If cell D15 contains the formula =$C$5*D15, what is the D15 in the formula? 22) What should you do if you see a column of pound signs (###) instead of  values or results of formulas? 23) ______ feasibility determines if the project is an acceptable financial risk and if the organization can afford the expense and time needed to complete the project 24) In the traditional systems development life cycle, users 25) To create a Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation based on an installed template, click the 26) Which of the following demotes a bullet point from the first level to the second level in Outline view in Microsoft ® PowerPoint ®? 27) ________ connects parts of the intranets of different organizations and allows secure communications among business partners 28) ______ is a system with universally accepted standards for storing, retrieving, formatting, and displaying information via a client/server architecture 29) A process that allows users to place information in multiple, overlapping associations is called 30) ________ are websites that provide collections of content from all over the World Wide Web

Emperor Hirohito of Japan

Emperor Hirohito of Japan Hirohito, also known as the Emperor Showa, was Japans longest-serving emperor (r. 1926 - 1989).   He ruled the country for just over sixty-two extremely tumultuous years, including the build-up to World War II, the war era, post-war reconstruction, and Japans economic miracle.   Hirohito remains an extremely controversial figure; as the leader of the Empire of Japan during its violently expansionist phase, many observers considered him a war criminal.   Who was Japans 124th emperor? Early Life Hirohito was born on April 29, 1901, in Tokyo, and was given the name Prince Michi.   He was the first son of the Crown Prince Yoshihito, later Emperor Taisho, and Crown Princess Sadako (Empress Teimei).   At the age of just two months, the infant prince was sent away to be raised by Count Kawamura Sumiyoshis household.   The count passed away three years later, and the little prince and a younger brother returned to Tokyo. When the prince was eleven years old, his grandfather, Emperor Meiji, died and the boys father became the Emperor Taisho.   The boy now became the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne and was commissioned into the army and the navy.   His father was not healthy and proved a weak emperor compared with the illustrious Meiji Emperor. Hirohito went to a school for children of the elites from 1908 to 1914, and the went into special training as the crown prince from 1914 to 1921.   With his formal education completed, the Crown Prince became the first in Japanese history to tour Europe, spending six months exploring Great Britain, Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.   This experience had a powerful effect on the 20-year-old Hirohitos worldview, and he often preferred western food and clothing afterward.   When Hirohito returned home, he was named as Regent of Japan on November 25, 1921. His father was incapacitated by neurological problems, and could no longer rule the country.   During Hirohitos regency, a number of key events took place including the Four-Power Treaty with the US, Britain, and France; the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923; the Toranomon Incident, in which a communist agent tried to assassinate Hirohito; and the extension of voting privileges to all men 25 and older.   Hirohito also married the imperial princess Nagako in 1924; they would have seven children together. Emperor Hirohito On December 25, 1926, Hirohito took the throne following his fathers death.   His reign was declared the Showa era, meaning Enlightened Peace- this would turn out to be a wildly inaccurate name.   According to Japanese tradition, the emperor was a direct descendant of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and thus was a deity rather than an ordinary human being.   Hirohitos early reign was extremely turbulent.   Japans economy fell into crisis even before the Great Depression hit, and the military assumed greater and greater power.   On January 9, 1932, a Korean independence activist threw a hand grenade at the emperor and nearly killed him in the Sakuradamon Incident. The prime minister was assassinated the same year, and an attempted military coup followed in 1936.   The coup participants murdered a number of top government and Army leaders, prompting Hirohito to demand that the Army crush the rebellion. Internationally, this was also a chaotic time.   Japan invaded and seized Manchuria in 1931, and used the pretext of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937 to invade China proper.   This marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War.   Hirohito did not lead the charge in to China, and was concerned that the Soviet Union might oppose the move, but did offer suggestions about how to carry out the campaign. World War II Although in the aftermath of the war, Emperor Hirohito was depicted as a hapless pawn of the Japanese militarists, unable to stop the march into full-scale war, in fact he was a more active participant.   For example, he personally authorized the use of chemical weapons against the Chinese, and also gave informed consent prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.   However, he was very concerned (and rightly so) that Japan would over-extend itself in trying to seize essentially all of East and Southeast Asia in the planned Southern Expansion. Once the war was underway, Hirohito required that the military brief him regularly, and worked with Prime Minister Tojo to coordinate Japans efforts.   This degree of involvement from an emperor was unprecedented in Japanese history.   As the Imperial Japanese armed forces swept through the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of 1942, Hirohito was thrilled with their success.   When the tide began to turn at the Battle of Midway, the emperor pressed the military to find a different route of advance. Japans media still reported every battle as a great victory, but the public began to suspect that the war was actually not going well.   The US began devastating air raids against Japans cities in 1944, and all pretext of imminent victory was lost.  Ã‚   Hirohito issued an imperial order in late June of 1944 to the people of Saipan, encouraging Japanese civilians there to commit suicide rather than surrendering to the Americans.   Over 1,000 of them followed this order, jumping from cliffs during the final days of the Battle of Saipan. During the early months of 1945, Hirohito still held out hope for a grand victory in World War II.   He arranged private audiences with senior government and military officials, almost all of whom advised continuing the war.   Even after Germany surrendered in May of 1945, the Imperial Council decided to continue to fight.   However, when the US dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, Hirohito announced to the cabinet and the imperial family that he was going to surrender, so long as the surrender terms did not compromise his position as the ruler of Japan. On August 15, 1945, Hirohito made a radio address announcing Japans surrender.   It was the first time that ordinary people had ever heard their emperors voice; he used intricate, formal language unfamiliar to most commoners, however.   Upon hearing of his decision, fanatical militarists immediately tried to stage a coup and seized the Imperial Palace, but Hirohito ordered the uprising quelled immediately. Aftermath of the War According to the Meiji Constitution, the emperor is in full control of the military.   On those grounds, many observers in 1945 and since have argued that Hirohito should have been tried for the war crimes committed by Japanese forces during World War II.   In addition, Hirohito personally authorized the use of chemical weapons during the Battle of Wuhan in October of 1938, among other violations of international law. However, the US was afraid that die-hard militarists would turn to guerrilla war if the emperor was deposed and put on trial.   The American occupation government decided to that it needed Hirohito.   Meanwhile, Hirohitos three younger brothers pressed him to abdicate and allow one of them to serve as regent until Hirohitos eldest son, Akihito, came of age.   However, US General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan, nixed that idea.   The Americans even worked to make sure that other defendants in the war crimes trials would down-play the emperors role in wartime decision making, in their testimony. Hirohito did have to make one large concession, however.   He had to explicitly repudiate his own divine status; this renunciation of divinity did not have much effect within Japan, but was widely reported overseas. Later Reign For more than forty years after the war, Emperor Hirohito carried out the duties of a constitutional monarch.   He made public appearances, met with foreign leaders in Tokyo and abroad, and conducted research on marine biology in a special laboratory in the Imperial Palace.   He published a number of scientific papers, mostly on new species within the class Hydrozoa.   In 1978 Hirohito also instituted an official boycott of the Yasukuni Shrine, because Class A war criminals had been enshrined there. On January 7, 1989, Emperor Hirohito died of duodenal cancer.   He had been ill for more than two years, but the public was not informed of his condition until after his death.   Hirohito was succeeded by his eldest son, Prince Akihito.

Free sample - Edith stein. translation missing

Edith stein. Edith stein1. What type of experience does Stein argue for the temptations of Jesus of Nazareth? Stein argues that the temptations of Jesus were right from the beginning meant to open the doors of life without end for human being. She continues to argue that, following the temptations that Jesus underwent, Christians can only pay back by being strong not to be tempted just like Jesus. Prayers are the only surest way to resist temptations. Was the experience a historical event, vision, or subjective experience? Her experience on this was like a subjective experience because she even wrote a book on the same. Although she did not finish writing it she concluded it basing it on truth of temptations she had experienced so many times. She strongly believed that, as the disciple of Christ, temptations were a daily thing. What arguments does she use to support her answer? The fact that she had suffered so much in the hands of the then government due to her denomination made her to argue that, temptations usually come but they are not meant to last.   She also argues that, just like Jesus underwent temptations and did not give up, she is also not ready to give up. 2. What are the three temptations faced by Jesus? The first temptation is when Jesus was required to manufacture bread form stones. The second requires him to let himself fall from a cliff and let the angels rescue him. Finally the devil requests him to worship him and by so doing he will give him authority over the world. How do the temptations differ in Mark, Matthew and Luke? To begin with, Luke and Mathew differ on how the second and third temptations are arranged. In the gospel of Mark Jesus’ temptations are not even clear unless one clearly reads with a lot of keenness. The two books which one can easily read the temptations of Jesus and understand are Mathew and Luke. 3. According to Stein how are we to understand the term, â€Å"wilderness†? Wilderness according to Stein can be likened to the hardships that Christians are experiencing while serving Christ. Just like Jesus experienced hardships in the wilderness Christians are no exception as Jesus serves as role model. 4. What is the meaning of each temptation according to Stein? The first temptation serves as a wake up call on Christians to resist the worldly things just like Jesus because they will soon come to an end just like bread. The second temptation according to Stein is that Jesus set a classic example by not testing his father. She calls upon Christians not to do things deliberately looking forward to Christ to save them. That to her, is a sin. In the third temptation, although she is not specific, she says that many people have been driven by promises from friends and people close to them and have abandoned the word of god and have followed them. Just like Christ, she calls upon those people to remember eternal life cannot be compared to any worldly thing. 5. How does Stein understand Jesus’ concept of the â€Å"Kingdom of God†? She categorically said this about Jesus’ concept of the kingdom of God, that the kingdom is God in us and us in Him. The kingdom is God manifesting himself in Christians and Christians in return manifest themselves in Christ. 6. What is the significance of calling God, â€Å"Abba†? The significance of Abba in her life was that even when she is experiencing embarrassment, suffering and loneliness of the cross, she experiences Christ love and being there for her which gave her a back up when he really needed it. Abba is the one that protects her therefore having a sense of security. She continues to say that, in the arms of Abba, she feels like a child being protected by strong hands of the father. This sense of security has enabled her to commit herself fully to the work of Christ. Works cited: E. Stein: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Rome 1998

You choose the topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

You choose the topic - Essay Example In effect, I offered the organization with outstanding service to enable it to engage all the stakeholders in order to solve the hunger problem in the communities. The volunteering service at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin used to start at 9 A.M and end at 4 P.M with breaks between the tasks. My primary task was to assist in sorting and labeling of various foodstuffs in the warehouse to distribute to the hungry people in the community. I used as heavy at fifteen-pound foodstuffs. My objectives were to meet the community needs and learn how organizations address them while gaining practical skills to apply and effect a positive change in the real world. In the course of the community service, my objective evolved according to the demands of different tasks. I constantly applied leadership skills that I mastered during the execution of tasks in the warehouse. Largely, I met my objectives of serving the community and bringing a positive change to the people’s lives. It was a pleasure to learn that apart from donating and volunteering at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin an individual can hold food drives. I did not know that the organization invites such drives aimed at collecting foodstuffs to assist in alleviating hunger. In fact, I can now hold food drives in my learning institution to help the organization get enough foodstuffs. In effect, the Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin exercises a high level of social responsibility in issues central to humanity. Notably, the organization collaborates with other agencies to ensure that the hunger stricken communities live a pleasant life. The level of interaction between the organization and the community aims at enhancing the quality of the society. Similarly, the interaction between the volunteers and the organization’s workforce is remarkable and allows individuals to dedicate their efforts towards alleviating poverty. The harmonious relationship enabled me to contribute positively to the organization.

Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Response Paper - Essay Example At the beginning of his essay, McCloskey dismantles the three established and scholarly proofs of God’s existence. Although some people may wonder why McCloskey disproves these arguments first and would even accuse him of practicality for having done so instead of attacking God’s existence itself, one should remember that the basis of Christian faith rests upon these three arguments of God’s existence, which have been established by the greatest of Christian scholars in early history. McCloskey begins with the cosmological proof of God’s existence and disproves its validity. According to McCloskey, â€Å"The mere existence of the world constitutes no reason for believing in the existence of [an all-powerful first cause or uncaused cause]† (McCloskey 63). This is logical. It would be perfectly all right to think that the existence of a computer necessitates the existence of a maker, because one knows that that is true. Nevertheless, the existence of the world is different from the existence of the computer, for the computer is man-made. Any man-made object is made by man, but since the world is not man-made, then it is definitely not made by man, OR perhaps nothing or no one really made it. The belief of theists is that anything that exists must have been made or created at some point. Nevertheless, no one can simply state this claim a priori; otherwise, it will be an assumption. Thus, McCloskey refutes the cosmological proof of the existence of God simply because he was speaking from what he knows and from the limits of his knowledge, which are simply and practically the same as the limits of any sane person’s knowledge. McCloskey is innocent in making his atheistic claims for it is true that he cannot see or perceive that the existence of the world necessitates the existence of a maker. Besides, anyone who can see such an existence must only be claiming to be able to do so perhaps on the basis of personal faith, an ima gined vision, or a physical proof to which he subjectively assigns meaning. In short, a theist believes that God exists because he has won the lottery that he was praying for, his sick child got better, the pastor said so, or just because he could â€Å"feel† it. Nevertheless, the point is that, in any case, no theist has seen the â€Å"connection† between God and the world. Moreover, since there is no way that a maker is seen as necessary, it also follows that it does not matter whether this maker is all-powerful or not. Aside from the cosmological argument, McCloskey refutes the argument from design and the teleological argument, because, according to him, in order to prove that this argument is true, â€Å"†¦genuine indisputable examples of design or purpose are needed† (64). This is also logical. What is â€Å"design† anyway? Perhaps, the theists have sought to define design as the series of events or an elaborate interconnection of things and ev ents that somehow either makes some sense to them or emotionally appeals to them. Perhaps, what the theists see that makes them believe in a design is a pattern or a cycle, like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, or the harmonious revolution of the planets around the sun. This is so dramatic and it feels so good to bask at these wonders of nature. Nevertheless, although it is possible that a pattern is

Petty v. Metropolitan Gov't of Nashville & Davidson County Research Paper

Petty v. Metropolitan Gov't of Nashville & Davidson County - Research Paper Example The case also involved Petty, who was a former Police Officer forced out of the Metro Police Department because of active duty mobilization in American Army Reserve. In fact, there were issues that contributed to the case proceeding to court. After returning from active duty, there was a delay in his reemployment request, whereby it exceeded the stipulated duration in relation to execution process. Moreover, Petty was not rehired under the position of patrol sergeant or any equivalent based on the information provided after completion of return-to-work form. Nevertheless, he failed to disclose the facts, which would justify discharge from the Army. Furthermore, there is a policy in Metropolitan Police Department that regard to return-to-work form, which indicates that returnee’s offices are required to compete in situations where they have been a way for a period. 2. Explain how the reemployment provisions of the USERRA were violated in this case. The aim of USERRA provisions is to provide protection of veterans’ rights during the process of seeking re-employment in order to return to service. These provisions focus on the military services and protection against discrimination concerning reemployment. In fact, they offer protection to the military and reserves in a way that prevents cases of losing of employment, relegation, losing of precedence, and loss of benefits in a situation of being called to active duty (United States Court of Appeals, 2012). There is a substantial disparity between USERRA with other laws that protects discrimination against employment and the breadth and potency aimed at protection. In this case, the mandatory reemployment imposes restrictions and prohibition against discrimination and retaliation. In this case, there is a violation of the USERRA provisions by Metropolitan Police Department through the delay involved in re-hiring the Petty in the process of return-to-work (Oubre, 2012). Moreover, the department violates the provisions by denying Petty a position, which he had met the standards and qualification. Therefore, the Metropolitan Police Department has been evidently depicted in their violation against USERRA concerning the provision of reemployment. 3. Explain why the court concludes that Petty has a claim for discrimination under USERRA. There is a conclusion by the court indicating that Petty has a claim for the allegations of discrimination by Metropolitan Police Department based on employment. In fact, this conclusion is made by the court based on the stipulations made by USERRA concerning reinstatement after petitioning for timely re-employment and discharge (U.S. Department of Labor, 2013). In this case, failure of the Metropolitan Police Department to conform with requirements of the act, which expected them to conduct a quick reinstatement of Petty to his former position led to this conclusion. After the allegations by Metro against Petty’s dishonesty, there was a response by the court, which was aimed at reminding them about USERRA. Moreover, these provisions stipulate the authority of employers to terminate a former service member for cause after re-employment. Nevertheless, this is not applicable for an employer to use this as a basis for failing to reinstate a former servi

The Impact Of Leadership Styles

The Impact Of Leadership Styles Leadership styles Leaders have their own style, which is fine if they can find a situation that requires that style of leadership. Being able to adapt the leadership style according to the situation and the state of the grope or team are flexible leadership example: taking charge when a team is forming but playing the role of coach when a team is managing itself well. One the fundamental principle of leadership style is to change according to the circumstances such as Situational Leadership (develop by Blanchard and Hersey in the late 1960s). According to Hersey and Blanchard, a leader is concerned with the task to be performed and with building relations with his employees. A leader may focus on work, building a team or building relationship with his or her employees, according to a combination of all these concerns Hersey and Blanchard proposed four leadership styles. Style 1 Indicating high concern for the task and low concern for people. Style 2 Showing High Concern for Task and People. Style 3 Having high concern for people and low for the task. Style 4 Indicating Low Concern for the task and Low Concern for people. According to them all the classified four styles are functional; it is according to their relevance situation that is important. Leadership styles in the situational model can be classified according to the amount of task and relationship behavior the leader engages in. Task related behavior also known as Regulating behavior since a leaders behavior revolves on regulating his or her group members and their task completion, other leaders concentrate on building personal relationship, which is called nurturing behavior. Regulating Behavior A Leader engages in one-way communication , who gives clear instructions of group roles and informs the group members what to do, where to do, and how to do, and closely supervises their activities and performance. Structure, Control, Supervise are the regular behavior of the leaders. Nurturing Behavior A Leader who engages in dual communication he who listens, provides support and encouragement, facilitates, interaction and involves the group in decision making. Praise, Listen, and Facilitate these are the regular behavior of the leaders Source (Pareek, 2007). Transformational versus Transactional leadership Achieving the current objectives efficiently by helping the organization by clarifying the needs and desires of the employee is known as transactional leadership. This type of leadership behavior improves employees performance and satisfaction. The transactional leaders focus on running the organization smoothly and efficiently. The transactional leader creates a clear structure and clear instructions to his or her subordinates regarding their work and rewards subsequently. Punishment is understood since it is not mentioned .The discipline system is usually in place. This type of leadership is a popular approach with the most of the managers. Transformational leadership have the ability to change the vision, strategy and culture of the organization based on personal values, beliefs, and qualities, Transformational leadership enable the followers to become leaders. Transformational leadership go beyond the immediate task that is the functions build the competencies of individuals and group and enable them to achieve targets that the organization or the individual would have not expected to achieve. Transformational leadership change the organizations strategies and culture so they are successful with the surrounding environment, they are the changed agents who show the direction to the employees to a new set of organizational values and behaviors. Empowering, risk taking clarity of mission, team building, equanimity, and evolving trust are few of the characteristics of transformational leaders Source (Theory of Transformational LeadershipRedux, Winter 1995). Transformational versus charismatic leadership Many researches do indicate that the two types of leadership as essentially equivalent, some others theorists say they are distinct and few other scholars say charismatic leadership is an ingredient of transformational leadership or charismatic leadership is the highest degree of transformational leadership. The third group of scholars separate charismatic leadership from transformational leadership. They say charisma is a personal trait referent power over followers, whereas transformational leadership is a set of behaviors that people use to lead the change process. Transformational leadership enables the followers to become leaders. Charismatic leaders are also known as heroic leaders by some of the research; they build allegiance in followers but do not necessarily change the organization. They use the power to serve others, they consider and learn from criticism and also they encourage followers to question leaders view. In many theories the leadership behaviors of charismatic a nd transformational leadership appear to be similar with very few important differences is evident as well. Transformational leaders will be doing lots of work which will make the employees more dependent on the leaders such as developing followers skill and self-confident, giving information to sensitive information and decentralizing the authorities. Transformational leaders at any level in any organization can easily be determined according to Bass since this type of leadership is globally relevant for very situation. Charismatic leaders are more proactive, do more things that creates an image of extraordinary competence for the leaders such as restricting information, risk taking and unconventional behavior. Charismatic leaders are rare, and appear to be more dependent only on favorable conditions in an organization and these leaders are very common for new organizations as visionary entrepreneurs or reformers. Charismatic leaders are usually more extreme Source (House, et al., 1994), (Avolio, et al., 1985). Distinguishing characteristics of charismatic and Non charismatic Leaders Non Charismatic Leaders Charismatic Leaders Likableness Likable leaders have shared perspective Idealized Vision and an honorable hero makes leader liable. Trustworthiness Disinterested advocacy in persuasion attempts. Leaders are passionate advocacy by taking personal risk. Relation to status quo Status quo is being maintained. Change of atmosphere is being created. Future Goals Goals are limited with very few discrepant from status quo. Vision of Idea which is highly discrepant from status quo. Articulation Articulation is weak in goals and motivation to lead. Motivation to lead and articulation of vision is very strong. Competence To achieve goals within framework of existing order with available means. Unconventional means is used to transcend the existing order. Behavior Conventional Unconventional Source: Conger, et al., 1998 Characteristics of Three Styles of Leadership Authoritarian or Autocratic This style is used when leaders take decisions from their position, control of rewards and coercion. The autocratic leaders group performance is almost good since they are characterized by positive feelings. This type of style can be used when you have all the information to solve problem, you are short on time, and your employees are well motivated. From the experiments of Lewis et al. it was found that this style resulted in very high level of discontent. Some leaders tend to think of this style as a tool for abusing, using unprofessional language, and leading by threats and abusing their power. This is not the authoritarian style, bossing people around. It has no place in a leaders repertoire. The authoritarian style should only be used occasions Source (Patterns of Aggressive Behavior in Experimentally Created Social Climates, 1939). Participative (Democratic) Democratic leader involve their people (one or more employees) in decision making (determining what to do and how to do it) encourages participation and depends on subordinates respect for influence, this style of leadership partly explains the reason for empowerment of employees. The group members of a democratic leader perform well even when the leader is absent. However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Employees usually like democratic decision making, it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. Democratic leadership however will find it difficult when options differ and it will difficult to arrive at a final decision. By this style is of mutual understanding it allows the employees to become part of the team and allows the leader to make better decisions Source (Field Theory and Experiment in Social Psychology Concepts and Method, 1939). Laissez-faire In this style, the leader has a minimum involvement in decision making; the leader allows the employees to make the decisions. However, the leader is still responsible for the decisions that are made. This is successful when the employees are able to analyze the situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it, and where there is no requirement for a centralized coordination. This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go wrong, rather this is a style to be used when you fully trust and confidence in the people below you. It was discovered by Lewin et al. that the democratic style was the most effective style of leadership. A good leader uses all three styles, depending on what forces are involved between the followers, the leader, and the situation. Some examples include, using an authoritarian style on a new employee who is just learning the job. The leader is competent and a good coach. The employee is motivated to learn a new skill. The situa tion is a new environment for the employee. The leader knows the problem, but does not have all the information. The employees know their jobs and want to become part of the team. You cannot do everything and the employee needs to take ownership of her job! In addition, this allows you to be at other places, doing other things Source (Pareek, 2007). The Impact of Leadership in Organizations The leadership has the ability to motivate and influence other leaders and the employees to achieve organizational goals through process of change. So are all the leaders are good and effective? Should all the organizations adopt a single approach to leadership? To analysis this leadership there is three types, which are individual leadership, group leadership and organizational leadership. Each of these types of leadership has a tremendous impact on how leaders are classified and viewed. The leadership theories revolve around describing traits of a leader, however, however the modern theories have tried to explain the impact through behavioral approaches. Motivation and process theories were later developed to determine the relationship and affect a leader had on the individual and group within an organization. Training has development has been a prominent development in the world of Organizational Behavior (OB) as organizations sought innovative methods for feedback and to regenerate their culture. This type of practiced has positively affected many organizations, the short-term results of coaching has given insight view of level 3 leadership which has been incorporated by both transactional and transformational leadership styles, however for organizations to achieve prominence and market share in their respective industry further development of leaders to a Level 5 leadership style was required. As the hierarchy in leadership position, power, control and achievement grew with the leaders success, some well known companies such as GE under the leadership of Jack Welch found themselves in the search of true leaders. It will be demonstrated that although such a leader may be detrimental to the organization, narcissistic leaders have also proven vital to the revival of these same organizations. Future planning is very important in the long-term growth of an organization in order to retain and attract the new leaders of tomorrow. Organizations need to be constant in terms of direction and control an effective leader has influenced in the past, and effective planning for the future leaders to continue the successful organization. The ever growing challenges that leaders face in the changing environment and coping with such difficult tasks such as interface management, change management, knowledge management and group dynamics within projects has been a task to balance and overcome. An effective leader increases the positive emotions within their organizations, they choose to do so a clear and compelling vision, but also have deep personal humility and an intense professional will Source (Sturek, 2005). Conclusions Leadership is a complex concept that has clearly demonstrated that developmental style is the most desirable style and it is associated with creation of empowerment, growth, learning, morale and satisfaction on the part of the employees. In Common terms this style creates resonance while the critical climate creates dissonance. In future the leadership programs should concentrate on the developmental style as a desirable style. This results in indicating the potential of all the situations chosen in predicting the leadership style. The style of leadership gets noticed consistently in most of the situation. Leadership style based feedback should perhaps focus on this in future.

Collin Powell Essay -- essays research papers

Secretary of State Colin Luther Powell served as national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan, and under President George Bush became the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993). In 2001 the U.S. Senate confirmed him as the Secretary of State. Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem, New York City on April 5, 1937, the son of a shipping clerk and a seamstress, both of whom were immigrants from Jamaica. Powell spent most of his childhood in the South Bronx, then regarded as a step up from Harlem. Despite the urgings of his parents that he should "strive for a good education" in order to "make something" of his life, Powell remained an ordinary student throughout high school. At City College of New York, Powell discovered himself; his retentive mind and leadership abilities made him a conspicuous success in the Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He graduated from the program in 1958 with the rank of cadet colonel, the highest awarded, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was then assigned to duty in West Germany. In 1962, while stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, Powell met and married Alma Vivian Johnson. The couple had three children. Powell's next overseas assignment was in South Vietnam, where he was wounded in action. He then studied at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, finishing second in a class of more than twelve hundred officers. During a second tour in Vietnam he received the Soldier's Medal for pulling several men from a burning helicopter. The army then provided Powell the time to study for a Master's degree in business administration at George Washington University. He received the degree in 1971, after which he worked as an analyst at the Pentagon before securing what he called a "dream job": an appointment as a prestigious White House fellow in the Office of Management and Budget under the director, Caspar Weinberger, and his deputy, Frank Carlucci, two men of rising influence in Washington who perceived Powell's uncommon abilities and who would help shape his career. A man of commanding presence at six feet one inch and 200 pounds, Powell was assigned to South Korea in 1973 to command a battalion troubled by racial animosities. "I threw the bums out of the army and put the drug u... ...gure in government. During the 1996 presidential race, it was announced that Powell would run. He declined, citing various reasons. The withdrawal was disappointing to many Americans. In April 1997 Powell chaired a Volunteer Summit in Philadelphia. Powell, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, former presidents, and other big names, including Oprah Winfrey, proposed the advent of a new volunteerism that would include people from all walks of life, place, and age. Powell's next step was to chair America's Promise, the Alliance for Youth. This organization is "dedicated to mobilizing individuals, groups and organizations from every part of American life, to build and strengthen the character and competence of our youth." Although the organization experienced some difficulties initially, Powell's commitment did not waver. Evaluations conducted in the spring of 1999 indicate that the organization has touched the lives of over 10 million children since its inceptio n. On December 16, 2000, President-elect George W. Bush nominated Powell to become the 65th Secretary of State. Following a unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, he was sworn in on January 20, 2001.

Reflection on Teaching Essay

In order to challenge my theory of teaching I first need very briefly to define it. When I was taught science it was mostly through direct teaching. Any experiments performed were deductive in nature with very little input from me. When I got to college and I started performing experiments then I suddenly started having little epiphanies where facts I had learned off by heart were unexpectedly connected in ways I hadn’t understood before. So I came to think that this was what was lacking at secondary level, the experimental experience that allowed people to physically test the ‘how’ of the world around them. To put it simply people are innately curious and that exploiting this curiosity is the way to teach. From the moment they learn to talk, children constantly ask questions about everything, from â€Å"where eyebrows come from?† to â€Å"what do worms eat?† Asking questions is the way they find things out and this really is just one small step away from learning. From personal experience of teaching I think that Arnstine (1967) was correct when he said â€Å"the arousal of curiosity can lead to learning†¦for learning to occur, curiosity must be guided†. Designing lessons in such a way as to tap into the natural curiosity of students and to connect the topics on the curriculum with their everyday experiences is surely the best way to teach science. I find enquiry / constructivism extremely interesting as it encapsulates the whole get their attention approach but I think it’s misused by an awful lot of people. I think that analogies and real world examples need to be reflective of the scientific concept yet simple enough that the student can grasp it. Also it requires that the student be actively involved, activities must provide the opportunity to demonstrate learning.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"To instruct someone†¦ is not a matter of getting him to commit results to mind. Rather, it is to teach him to participate in the process that m akes possible the establishment of knowledge. We teach a subject not to produce little living libraries on that subject, but rather to get a student to think mathematically for himself, to consider matters as an historian does, to take part in the process of knowledge-getting. Knowing is a process not a product.† (Bruner. J, The Process of Education: Towards a theory of instruction 1966: 72) So in approaching this assignment I realise that I am an ardent supporter of teaching through enquiry. I agree with Bruners theoretical framework of building on pre-existing knowledge by presenting new material in a logical manner at a level the student can understand, revisiting topic in stages and building layers of ever increasing complexity. I find the concept of a spiral curriculum to be a sensible one, but also to be at odds with the way in which individual schools plan the teaching of science. There is far too much relience on the text book, with strict adherence to the material inside. I prefer to leave the text book at home, for the student to be assigned reading and questions from it for homework so that it is new and different and provides a slightly different aspect to the same topic. At the very least it will provide the same information as was covered in class in a slightly different manner and provoke recall instead of boredom. A consequence of supporting enquiry is an aversion to direct teaching. Those who support direct teaching say that it is a highly effective method of teaching. The basic components are careful content analysis, sequencing of information and use of appropriate examples, specific instructional formats where both teacher and student responses are scripted and testing to mastery. The part that receives the most criticism is the scripted responses. Here is an example I found at Brainsarefun.com http://brainsarefun.com/Teachtk.html EXAMPLE 1. All: Teacher and students touch the answer to be learned. 2. Teacher: â€Å"The answer to this question is, 1492.† 3. Teacher: â€Å"When I signal I want you to answer, 1492.† 4. Teacher: â€Å"The answer is 1492.† 5. Teacher: â€Å"What year did Columbus discover America?† 6. Teacher: â€Å"Get ready.† Watch the students to make sure all participate. 7. Teacher: Signal by pointing or snapping fingers. 8. All: â€Å"1492.† 9. Teacher: â€Å"That’s right, Columbus discovered America in 1492.† 10. Teacher: Reward. â€Å"Good job saying 1492.† Make eye contact with individuals. Smile. 11. Teacher: Next answer, or repeat until everyone is participating and firm. If any student is unable to participate or answer correctly, start at the top of the sequence again. Most teachers believe that this type of teaching is too restrictive and prevents the students from developing critical thinking skills. I have to say that on my first reading of this example of direct teaching I was horrified at the way the students were indoctrinated. I knew that this method of teaching was not for me and I continued to develop my lesson plans along the constructivist enquiry model. I researched guided discovery and found that discovery learning is described as an inquiry-based, constructivist learning theory that occurs in situations where the learner draws on their existing knowledge to discover facts and comprehend relationships. Students interact with the world by manipulating objects, wrestling with questions or performing experiments. As a result, students are more likely to remember concepts and knowledge discovered on their own (in contrast to a transmission / direct teaching model). Proponents of discovery learning say it has many advantages, including encouraging active engagement, promoting motivation, autonomy, responsibility, independence, aiding the development of creativity and problem solving skills and is a tailored learning experience that helps minimize classroom management problems. Detractors point out the amount of time needed to teach a topic and that students do not always achieve the intended outcome of the lesson. That is they may draw erroneous conclusions about the investigation they are engaged in. My action research Now that I have explored my theories on teaching I need to test those theories by comparing the outcomes of direct versus enquiry teaching. Ideally in order to compare the two methods I should keep the conditions of the lessons the same and only change the method of instruction. Rigor would  dictate that I teach two groups of students that have been randomly segregated. The students would be in the same year of secondary school and assumed to be at the same academic level. Ability within each group would be expected to mimic normal distribution with some students excelling and some struggling with the curriculum content. Unfortunately in my teaching practice placement I have one class of first years and one class of second years. I am also following a subject plan laid down by the science department in the placement school, which further restricts my research topic. Hence rather than directly compare and contrast two sets of lesson plans that differ in instruction but not content, I shall attempt to make my methods of instruction the subject of the action research. My intention is to design a number of lesson plans along the guidelines of both approaches and to deliver these lessons as independent of personal bias as possible. I shall assess the success of each lesson plan as a measure of student value and under a number of points such as participation, motivation to learn, interest of students, as well as proficiency in summative tests. Bearing in mind my own learning, I will also be critically examining something about my ability to deliver a constructivist lesson; do I do as I say? In assessing participation of students I will make reference to number, frequency and relevance of questions asked. Time spent on-task will be used to measure motivation and interest as will content of questions asked. In line with standard research methods I established a baseline of knowledge on the topic of energy by giving the students a questionnaire which was designed to probe existing conceptions. (more here on the results of the questionnaire) From my understanding of enquiry teaching there seems to be a number of activities that should feature in my lesson plans and I have tried to incorporate these in the enquiry based lesson plans. I have included a list of these activities here and have also identified them in the appropriate lesson plans. Enquiry activities †¢ Think about scientifically orientated questions that are at an appropriate level and ask ‘how’ rather than ‘why’ (teacher provides questions at first) †¢ Gather and consider evidence using the tools of science †¢ Make explanations based on prior gain fact and ‘new’ knowledge gained through the process of enquiry / evidence gathering †¢ Compare  conclusions to currently scientific understanding and account for differences †¢ Communicate and negotiate their findings and explanations with others After the brainstorming session I jotted down as many of the words and phrases as I could during class. Light, wave, geothermal, heat, renewable, sun, plants, photosynthesis, comes from food, plants make it, atomic bombs, it keeps you moving, you are tired without it, it can change, there’s energy in batteries, joules, oil. Then I asked a series of questions designed to clarify facts that they needed to know (3A6 Energy, 3A7 Energy conversion: Junior Certificate Science Syllabus). From the answers it was clear to me that the students could not distinguish between forms of energy and sources of energy. Because the discussion section of the enquiry lesson plan is open-ended I was able to direct questions and highlight information on the board that students could use to ‘discover facts’. I tried to give minimum guidance but I found that the students were floundering and unsure of what they were trying to accomplish. This was a recurring theme during the discovery lesson plans and it seems to me from my readings that this is the main detracting feature of enquiry instruction. Those who oppose constructivist / enquiry instruction such as Kisherner, Sweller and Clark (2006) argue that minimum guidance during instruction does not work and Clark (1989) goes further to suggest that his data shows that ‘lower aptitude students’ show a loss of learning on post instructional testing. My Conclusion It is essential that the teacher do research work, i.e., he should comb the subject of chemistry from end to end for facts and for methods of exposition that will make such facts live and real to his students. (Patrick, W. A. (1924) What kind of research is essential to good teaching? J. Chemical Education, Volume 1, Issue 1, p16.) I have come to the conclusion that there is a need for direct teaching in the classroom in order to build up foundation of facts in long term memory to provide wellspring of knowledge which can be used to provide data when needed. Enquiry or discovery learning encourages the use of this knowledge so that students can put facts together to think critically. Dewey supported inductive teaching as the way to improve scientific teaching for a better educated society and said science lessons should include learning the process of science not just the facts, (Dewey, 1903). By this I believe he meant that the two methods complement each other and need to be used in tandem. But direct teaching cannot be taken as an excuse for unimaginative lessons recycled every year with minimal input from the teacher needed in the delivery. If investigatory activities are designed deductively, ie have only one conclusion, need more here about factors to consider when designing lesson activities.